Kraken's Matty Beniers Off To Strong Start; Poised For Breakout Campaign

Through three games, Matty Beniers has looked stellar. He has bought into coach Lane Lambert's play style and has quickly gained his trust. 

Only Chandler Stephenson and Jordan Eberle are averaging more ice time among Seattle Kraken forwards than Beniers, who has shown to be a force on both ends of the ice. Offensively, Beniers has recorded a goal and three points.

At 5-on-5, he has generated three high-danger chances for himself, but the Kraken have excelled with Beniers on the ice. At 5-on-5, Natural Stat Trick has the Kraken owning a 61.73 percent advantage in expected goals, a Corsi For percentage of 56.25 percent and have generated more scoring chances and high-danger chances than they've allowed. 

It's still far too early to make any claims about Bernier's season, but the early production and the overall impact on the game are what the Kraken were hoping would be routine after his outstanding rookie season.

The past two seasons have witnessed the 22-year-old take positive steps on the defensive side of the game, but his offense had been sacrificed. Finding the right blend for Beniers is the key. The Kraken depend on him to produce at a near point per game rate, and so far, next to Jared McCann and Eberle, he's done just that.

The former 2021 second overall pick has so many tools at his disposal. Physically, Beniers stands 6-foot-2, but his skill set complements the rest of his game. He is a tremendous skater, possessing both straight-line speed and strong edge work. His hand moves just as fast as his feet, which allows him to stick handle through the neutral zone and create offense off the rush. Defensively, he combines his hockey IQ with his feet and hands to dispossess his opponents. If Beniers can continue to do this, it will be a big year for him. 

The Kraken won't be a high-scoring team under Lambert, but they'll still need timely goals. Beniers, maybe more than anyone else on the team, is equipped to do so.